Costs, exacerbations and pneumonia after initiating combination tiotropium olodaterol versus triple therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• Published in: Journal of comparative effectiveness research 2019-11, Vol.8 (15), p.1299-1316
• Main Authors: Palli, Swetha R, Buikema, Ami R, DuCharme, Mary, Frazer, Monica, Kaila, Shuchita, Juday, Timothy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bronchitis; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Codes; Comorbidity; COPD exacerbation; Drug dosages; healthcare costs; healthcare resource use; Insurance coverage; Medicare; Patients; Pharmacy; Pneumonia; Population; Prescription drugs; tiotropium olodaterol; triple therapy
• ISSN: 2042-6305; 2042-6313
• DOI: 10.2217/cer-2019-0101

To compare health plan-paid costs, exacerbations and pneumonia outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) initiating combination tiotropium olodaterol (TIO + OLO) versus triple therapy (TT: long-acting muscarinic antagonist + long-acting β agonists + inhaled corticosteroid). COPD patients initiating TIO + OLO or TT between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2016 were identified from a managed care Medicare database and balanced for baseline characteristics using inverse probability of treatment weighting before assessment of outcomes. Annual COPD-related and all-cause costs were US$4118 (35%) and US$5384 (23%) lower for TIO + OLO versus TT (both p ≤ 0.001). TIO + OLO patients had nearly half the severe exacerbations (8.3 vs 15.5%; p = 0.014) and pneumonia was also less common (18.9 vs 30.9%; p